Gwendolyn Brooks realistic writer or a creative illustrator?

The best kind of literature in the world is writing that reflects the struggles, events, and sentiments of regular people in their daily routine of life. One of the most paramount writers who exhibits masterful knowledge of how to illustrate this writing style is Gwendolyn Brooks. She employed different literary mediums to show the realness of her writing, but there are three techniques she used that stand out the most. Many of her literary works are a direct recollection of notable events that occurred during the time she wrote them and her opinion of those events including: her poems about World War II, her poems about the changes in her life, and her poems addressing specific people or a group of individuals. She was very familiar with inner city life, and a vast majority of her writings also point to this fact. Her perspective is affected by her background, among other things, and her works connects her urban upbringing with the relevant matters of her time. Brooks’ writing expresses her true feelings and point of view on topics that she deems important, and it is very easy to detect her sincere authorship through her excellent descriptions and unique rhyme patterns. Her groundbreaking work inspires individuals to write literature that hits close to home, in order to ensure that genuineness and authenticity are present in their writings. Brooks had an incredible capacity to write realistic literature, and her works were solidified as brilliant because of the connection to actual life events and people.

            Gwendolyn Brooks took on the very important task of giving a voice to the wartime soldiers during World War II and giving the account of America separate from the war. Many soldiers, especially African American soldiers, lost who they were while they were in the war, because the government treated them as dispensable pawns. Also, many of the regular citizens who were left to run society while the soldiers were gone still faced other obstacles apart from the war. Edford studied Brooks’ wartime writings and says, “The relationship between form and content is a productive one, particularly in her war poems; verse form allows Brooks to represent the soldiers’ loss of identity in World War II and post-World War II American society” (Edford 72). Brooks called attention to the struggle that these soldiers experienced during war and after war in a way that could not be ignored. This war had a significant impact on each and every soldier, regardless of race, and she saw the importance of bringing this subject to the forefront. She also emphasized the injustices soldiers were subject to post war and how all of these factors dictated the remainder of their lives. The war is portrayed as a living, uncontainable thing, “Maud Martha, Brooks’ 1953 novel, treats the war obliquely as an uncontrolled and incomprehensible force that fades in and out of the narrative and blurs with lynchings, births, and even the weather” (Edford 72). This novel is a full explanation of the wartime events and the things that happened outside of the war. When reading literature created during times of war, there is often a false assumption that time stands still outside of the war. Brooks’ writings are useful tools that will not let the world’s happenings unconnected to the war go unnoticed.

Brooks wrote some literature that directly and indirectly illustrated what was going on in her personal life. For example, her poem entitled “The mother” is a very grave and thoughtful piece that seems to have some personal sentiments included about a woman’s thoughts, feelings, and emotions after making the decision to abort one or more children. Later on in her career as author, she made a decision to change publishers and go with a company who was more geared toward the success of African American writers during her career. Lieberman addresses Brooks’ poem “The Wall” and says, “I believe that her poem “The Wall” is a crucial document that reflects the rationale for the major changes in her life and career that Brooks undertook during this period of quick transition” (Lieberman 29). Brooks does a noteworthy job using this poem, which is totally unrelated to the events that took place in her life, to show the process of detaching one’s self from the politically correct “white” world and joining together with other’s like herself to reach a common goal. She found the courage to take a chance and change her publishing company, and she even went on to come up with her own publishing company as well. The second she decided to separate herself signified a dynamic time in her life, “This was the moment of her secession from the New York literary establishment, which was clearly affiliated with the elitist White cultural scene in Chicago, the bastion of wealth and highbrow arts to which she refers in line three of “The Wall”— “South of success and east of gloss and glass” (Lieberman 29). With this poem she acknowledges the existence of a mural on a wall that was created by many different people from a ghetto neighborhood. The creation of this piece of art is a beautiful expression of skill and individualism apart from society. She speaks of joining in with those who contributed to the finished product that is the mural, and she sees her individualism more after she changes her publisher.

Lastly, Brooks utilized her expertly crafty literary ability to attempt to convey a message to specific people and groups of people. She uses her expertise to customize her unique literary pieces to fit the subject matter of her choice, and she establishes a genuine connection between her work and political, social, and moral issues. Two examples of her works that are geared toward are Maud Martha and “We Real Cool”. Ahern analyzed Brooks’ Maud Martha and said, “That the “lovely little” novel actually takes on racism, the complexion hierarchy in the black community, classism, poverty, war, lynching, and disillusionment with marriage….” (Ahern 313). She refers to the fact that the poem is a lovely little work, while still addressing some hard-hitting issues that were and are still prevalent today. For instance, she addresses the complexion hierarchy in the black community that is very much a massive topic of debate, because society places more value on African Americans with a lighter skin tone. Koch commented on Brooks’ “We Real Cool” and said, “The reason for both, the ubiquitous nature of this work and the universality of its appeal, especially among younger audiences, is manifest in both the structure and subject matter of the poem” (Koch 27). This poem is a direct message to her younger audience. She is, in a nutshell, advising young people to really understand what makes a person “cool”, and in a dark way she is somewhat making fun of the fact that young people think quitting school and hanging out on a corner is “cool” with the last line of poem “Die soon”. McKibbin weighs in on Brooks’ “A Bronzeville Mother Loiters in Mississippi. Meanwhile, a Mississippi Mother Burns Bacon” and says, “This analysis of Brooks’ poem demonstrates how Brooks uses the figure of the white woman both to criticize her and to denounce Southern ideology itself” (McKibbin 667). This writing is an example of Brooks’ message being directed at a specific person, and in this case she is calling the white woman who Emmitt Teal supposedly offended out for her part in his horrible demise. She does not feel that society held the woman involved in the situation accountable for her part in a situation that ended so tragically. Everything that happened to that young boy was a direct result of what she said happened, and could very well have been just a misunderstanding. Brooks did an excellent job with her tone and style conveying her messages to the person or group of persons through her writing, and her indirect approach further highlighted the meaning of her works.

In conclusion, Brooks will go down as one of the most celebrated authors of her time because of her raw subject matters and creative style. She accurately communicates her real thoughts, feelings, and emotions about certain topics through her literary skills, and her works are always a joy to read. Her writings concerning World War II, the changes that occurred in her own life, and her message to specific people or groups of people are undeniably the cornerstone of her well-deserved fame and notoriety. Brooks showed real courage and bravery when she addressed the conditions for soldiers and normal citizens during and after World War II. She showed her sincere transparency with her writings that portrayed the changes that occurred in her own personal life. She also proved to be daring enough to speak to specific individuals and groups of individuals with her direct communication with her persuasive and aggressive style. Gwendolyn Brooks’ creative and artistic ability will forever be manifest in her literary works that have a lasting impact due to her raw, real content and her innovative technique.